Recovery Purposes
by Cosifantutte
Summary: This is dedicated to a very dear friend, it developped out of an Rpg, and it's another Tibarn x Reyson story, this time even more lovey-dovey! Enjoy this one, too :D


Sunrise.

Another morning.

It took Reyson some effort to sit up in bed and look around just to catch a glimpse of brown feathers rustling past his room's door.

The thick blanket that had covered him from head to toe slipped off his shoulders and fell down to the wooden floor.

Reyson heavily lifted one arm and ran his hand through the long blond tresses that had shortened his sight.

Carefully, he pinned them up at the nape of his neck, and risked another glance towards the door.

Tibarn was apparently walking up and down the hall, impatiently shooting sharp looks towards Reyson's room but not spying through the door.

Anxiety.

It took Reyson only a short thought to find out what must have made Tibarn worry, and it explained his own unstable condition.

He was dizzy, insecure, his head was wheeling.

Two countries had been at war with one another, and he, as a heron, had been badly affected by the battles going on far away.

All he remembered was pain, cruel and merciless people slaughtering others, children crying, women screaming and then everything had become white.

Reyson had absolutely no idea how long he had been without consciousness but he was sure that Tibarn had a good reason to be that worried.

Not only the hawk's uneven footsteps proved his impatience, Reyson could feel it too.

Deep in his chest there was something lively, something in his heart, that made him feel what Tibarn felt, and it gave him an awkward experience right now.

No way to set Tibarn's mind at ease but to show up himself as a proof of everything being alright.

Still, Reyson was not too sure whether his legs would be able to bear the weight of his tired body.

So he slowly pushed himself up until his fingertips could reach the nearby closet, then straightened up and made a fast step to get a tight grip on the highest board.

Feeling insecure and groggy, he was thinking about a way to reach the door when Tibarn dashed in and shot a nearly angry gaze that made Reyson freeze in the position he had just taken.

It must have been an unlucky coincidence that had made Tibarn peer through the door in just the same instant when Reyson's grip had locked around the shelf to make sure he would not tumble down to the floor when getting dizzy again.

Yet, it made his heart jump for a second, and Tibarn's look became a lot softer when his eyes met the heron's.

„Reyson...", he soundlessly whispered, „you're awake."

The angry glance turned into a gentle smile as the hawk carefully picked the heron off his feet and sat down on the bed's edge, pulling Reyson onto his lap and gingerly caressing the bare skin of his arms.

It took Reyson off guard being cared for like that, and all he could do for an answer was nodding shortly.

Tibarn's arms were tight around the heron's slender body, and he leaned into the hawk's warm chest to instantly feel the other's lips tenderly brushing over his head.

„Good to have you back, Reyson. I missed you badly."

Anxiety and great relief showed in every word the hawk spoke, and Reyson felt guilty having caused the other so much sorrow.

„I.... Tibarn, have the battles ended? How long have I been asleep? I'm sorry, I never meant you to... uhhh. You shouldn't have suffered with me.", the heron quietly told the brunette, and he weakly lifted a hand to place it onto Tibarn's athletic chest, right where the hawk's heart must be.

The other's life was strongly beating under Reyson's fingers, and the blond's lips pulled up into a loving smile as he set the hawk's hand onto his own chest.

Thud, thud, thud.

Lively, even and strong.

„The war is over, yes. You've slept through four whole days, fully losing consciousness over and over again, and your skin seemed to be burning till today morning.

It's a relief to see you being alright, really.", the hawk pointed out, and Reyson felt the guilt from before again.

Nevertheless, from one minute to the other Reyson could feel the worry disappearing, and Tibarn lightly sighed.

His anxiety dropped away with a yawn, and the heron slowly peered up to see the other man looking down at him.

Warm golden eyes, narrowed from tiredness, softly caught the heron's gaze and captivated him.

Reyson could feel the hawk's body twitch once, then Tibarn drooped to the mattress, and his eyes slowly closed.

Yet, the blond did not feel the need to remove himself from the other's comfortable body, so he carefully moved a bit down to set his cheek against the hawk's collar.

Warm.

Still, a bit too distant.

With an effort, Reyson shoved himself onto his hands, sat up and bared Tibarn's chest by unbuttoning his clothes, his head spinning again.

The heron almost collapsed when trying to lie down again, but Tibarn had been paying attention to his nearby fainting.

Quick-wittedly, the man reached out for the heron's shoulders and prevented him from falling.

A low huff came from the hawk's throat as he cautiously made the heron lie down again.

Reyson did not look up this time. He was way too exhausted, way too dizzy.

The next instant, his body felt like breaking apart, and soon he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

~*~

„Oh, come on, Tibarn, we're close already. Not another break..."  
Reyson felt like getting angry at the other man to suggest another rest when having the Forest of Serenes so nearby.

It was mere impatience and a huge bit of anticipation that made the heron wrinkle his nose at the hawk, but he still gave in.

Being restless, he walked forth and back over the field they had landed on, stepped from one foot to the other and shot uneasy looks at their environment.

The forest was very close, he could feel, hear and sense it with all he was gifted with.

Tibarn however was relaxed and calm, and Reyson felt the sinister urge to slap the other for making him wait after having suggested to go visit his homeland.

Reyson's condition had quickly improved after having fainted the other day, and Tibarn had recommended a short journey - „for recovery purposes", as he had put it.

Of course the heron had been enthusiastic, so they had set out after only a few days to fly their way north to Begnion.

A glowing smile now finally replaced the heron's anger as his gaze met Tibarn's, and he kneeled down next to where the hawk had sat down, putting one hand into the other's lap.

Tibarn looked up to him, his expression a bit confused, then glanced down to the heron's hand.

„What... do you intend to do there?", he slowly asked, and the blond giggled.

„What do you think might be a reason for me to put my hand down there?", Reyson teased, carefully imposing pressure with his fingertips, „Make an educated guess."

He could watch the other swallow, while his fingers tenderly trailed down Tibarn's femoral.

Just approaching the other's knee, Reyson broke his teasing and sat down on the grass, pulling his hand back.

It took the hawk a moment to calm his breath, then he suddenly turned to face the heron and kissed him.

It was an impatient, longing kiss.

Tibarn's lips crushed into Reyson's, and it took the heron absolutely off guard to be attacked like that, but he quickly managed to concentrate and returned the kiss with the same urge Tibarn was giving into.

There was some odd feeling about that kiss, a weird sensation, as if something was about to happen and turn everything common upside down.

Anticipated.

Excited.

Reyson could not make out where the emotion had come from, but he got taken over by it and shot an irritated glance towards the hawk that now was leaning away from him and flashed him a glowing smile.

„Tibarn...", Reyson slowly murmured while suspiciously glaring at the other, „... what do you have in mind? I'm sure you're planning something, but I have no idea what this... is all about. You never meant to make this a recovery journey, did you? There's something going on here, don't try to mess with me."

The heron's voice was calm, but his head was spinning.

This clearly was going to turn out as something different from what Reyson had expected, and that made him worry.

What did the hawk intend on doing in Serenes?

Tibarn did not return an answer to the heron. He kept on sitting there, fully enjoying himself and shooting broad smiles at the other.

There was some time of silence between them, neither Tibarn nor Reyson made the first attempt of saying something until a loud howl made them both jump in surprise.

A large crow broke through the clouds and passed them, flapping its wings only twice before it disappeared into the nearby forest.

Breathing in once, breathing in twice, then the two men broke into sounding laughter, jolly hustling one another. Tibarn pulled the heron onto his lap, playfully wrestling with him but falling for the other's pleading after some minutes.

A short touch full of affection, and Reyson was helpless.

Casually, Tibarn ran his fingers over the heron's bare wrist and made him shudder. Any contact the hawk caused was a mere pleasure to the blond, and his eyes closed in enjoyment as Tibarn pressed himself a bit closer to him.

They spent some silent minutes sitting on the soft grass and gently caressing each other before Reyson's impatience took over once again.

„Now. You got your break, so can we finally enter Serenes? Please, Tibarn, I beg you. Rafiel is probably awaiting us, and I can't stand it anymore, I want to finally see my homeland again. I've... missed my forest."

The heron was aware of how silly and immature he must sound, but he did not care for once.

It must have been ages since he had visited the Serenes Forest for the last time, and it drove him mad having to wait right at the boundary of what he was longing for.

Tibarn must have noticed how badly the other's impatience made him suffer now, so he finally surrendered and got up to his feet, shoving Reyson onto his in the same movement.

A light scent of flowers and wood welcomed the two men approaching the forest, and the deeper they walked into it, the stronger the odors grew.

Reyson got distracted by everything, his feet carried him to anywhere but the place Rafiel must await them at.

Bushy branches blocked their way here and there, and Reyson who was walking ahead gently brushed them aside. After many years of regeneration the forest finally started to look a lot like it did before a pack of barbarian Beorc had burned it down to the roots, and Reyson could not help it but feel unbelievably happy.

Tibarn, who had been standing back all the time, now stepped to the heron's side and tenderly brushed his lips over the blond's cheeks that must be of a bright red, referring to how hot they felt.

All the heron was able to return was a beaming smile, and Tibarn's face enlightened into a loving simper.

It did not matter why they really came here, it did not matter what would happen next.

All Reyson felt was pure luck, gushily he leapt onto a nearby rock and exhaled into a relieved scream.

He could sense Tibarn's surprised look at his back, but there was nothing that could have kept him from being unstressed and free.

It took Reyson several minutes to take all the new impressions in, he barely managed to jump off the rock again, but when he finally did, two strong hands caught his waist and turned him around. Tibarn's face was glowing, his golden eyes met the heron's green ones, and Reyson instantly knew that he had not been the only person feeling the overwhelming happiness. Two big brown wings unfolded and were placed around the blond's trembling body, and Reyson could not prevent himself from kissing the other with incredible endearment.

Too much love was in him, too much happiness he felt.

Not even a low voice nearby calling his name made Reyson look around, all he could see and wanted to feel right now was Tibarn.

The hawk, however, had noticed the slender man standing under a nearby oak and made Reyson turn around by gripping his shoulders and pulling his giant wings back.

What followed, was a cordial reunion of two brothers that nowadays rarely got to meet one another, and Reyson after all had to ease his mind not to start screaming again.

In the meantime, Tibarn walked his way off the two herons, and Reyson only started wondering where he had left to when the two blonds made their way to the rebuilt palace and still could not catch sight of the hawk.

Someone had decorated the place with huge garlands of flowers, and Reyson nearly expected his mother to come out of the palace to greet him. Large bouquets of carnations and mallows had been arranged on the meadow and Rafiel gently tagged his brother along while moving across the grass to approach the giant building.

Warily, Reyson let his gaze sweep over the trees and it caught him fully off guard as he spotted the hawk, slowly gliding onto the meadow, being dressed in an elegant light brown robe, his expression very serious.

A long cloak floated in midair when the hawk moved, and his wings seemed to melt into the glistening fabric. A broad dark green belt revealed a way more slender waist than one would have expected, and the cloth was tightly covering the brown-haired man's body.

For once after a while, Tibarn looked like the king he actually was, and Reyson could not manage to take his gaze off him.

The heron was absolutely sure that the herons were not the most beautiful persons in the meadow anymore, and he nervously worked his fingers as Tibarn approached him.

Rafiel had disappeared into the palace, and Reyson felt a bit insecure of what was yet to come.

„I... Tibarn, what.... did something happen? I've been suspicious about your behaviour ever since we reached Serenes, but..."

Reyson would have liked to ask many more questions, but Tibarn had made him fall silent with a single look.

So much vulnerability was in his eyes, they were of a smooth gold now, and Reyson could feel the other's strain.

There was a strange atmosphere surrounding them, things that had appeared important before did not mean anything anymore.

It was only the two of them, and Reyson thought he might collapse as Tibarn suddenly squatted to kneel down in front of the heron.

His long cloak spread out on the grass, and the hawk's eyes focussed on Reyson's right hand as he reached out for it and tenderly took it to squeeze it with his own fingers.

Reyson swallowed, heavily panting, then carefully grabbed the other's face and pulled Tibarn's chin up so he could meet his gaze.

One look, one gasp.

No doubt.

But...

„Tibarn, you don't... I cannot........ what's on your mind right now?", he choked out without looking away.

The other man lightly shook his head, his golden eyes still full of love and affection.

„All I can think of right now is you, Reyson. All I ever wanted is you. There's nothing I've ever desired as I desire you. We've been through ups and downs, through any crisis one can think of – and I still haven't had enough of you. Not even close.

I've thought this through more than once, and I'm absolutely sure that I know what I'm doing.

Reyson, even if I may be a nuisance sometimes, will you be my wife by law?

I cannot imagine ever loving someone as I love you.

Will you stay by my side for all of our life?"

Reyson was speechless.

Tears were rolling down his cheeks before he had even noticed they were coming.

Him... the hawk king's wife?

He wanted... to marry him?

There was nothing that could have prepared Reyson for this, nothing he could think of that he could say now.

Lightly squeezing the hawk's fingers, Reyson sank down to the ground while the tears were running over his face.

So much he wanted to tell Tibarn and not enough words to make it all sound right.

But no words were necessary anymore when the hawk's gaze touched the heron's face that was drowning in tears. Worrying lips brushed over the blond's cheeks and kissed all the tears away, rough but gentle hands framed his face, and the heron could not resist laughing.

Tibarn shot him a surprised look but did not stop caressing him, and Reyson silently sighed.

„That's.... a hilarious situation. You've told me the most beautiful things I have ever heard, I'm the happiest person that's existent in this world, and still, I'm crying. You have to comfort me after having asked me to marry you. That's..... beyond.... oh god.", he babbled until Tibarn sealed his moving lips with a tender kiss.

„Shh", he muttered under his breath, but Reyson kept on objecting.

„But...", he began, his voice growing stronger, „Tibarn, I will. There's nothing that could make me any happier..."

The smile Tibarn flashed him in return was beyond endearing, and it made the heron feel dizzy when he imagined what was yet to come.

He really could not quite bite out a gasp as Tibarn's fingers lightly touched the back of the heron's neck. It was more than a bliss. He gasped as he thrust against Tibarn's hands' impatient, yet gentle movements, although he was aware of Rafiel being able to see them from a small distance.

A low grumble rose in the hawk's chest, and Reyson carefully set a hand against his heart, quietly synchronizing the other's heartbeat.

Tibarn however kept on brushing his lips over the heron's face, caressing his neck and collar, until he heavily sighed.

„Reyson...", he carefully began, „I'm sure you like my dress quite a lot.... I do, too, to be honest. But still, it's getting pretty warm by now, and I fear you'll have to conform the hawks' conventions."

Reyson was confused.

He looked up and gazed right into the liquid gold of Tibarn's eyes until the hawk silently laughed and got up to his feet, effortlessly lifting the heron onto his arms.

„Alright, I'll show you what I mean. But we might want to get rid of.... unwanted spectators first.", he chuckled and unfolded his wings to fly them a bit off.

The heron's first thought was a ceremony that he had never known of, but as he looked up to see the other's face, all he could recognize in there was sheer happiness.

So he decided to relax and wait for what was to come next.

Tibarn took his beloved to a small clearing, overgrown with wild flowers and smelling like spring itself.

He put Reyson down to his feet, then threw a glance at the passing clouds and took the heron's hands into his.

„No need to worry, it will be alright."

So he had noticed the blond's anxious look.

„All I was talking about is... the wife's duty to unclothe the husband after the.... engagement. You actually don't have to do it instantly. But it's horribly warm and... would you.... be so kind.....?"

A relieved laughter slipped through Reyson's lips, and he softly kissed the other.

„That's... a convention of the hawks' people? I've never heard of it, but still.... of course, I will free you.", he laughed and carefully began to unbutton Tibarn's clothes.

„And about that... „wife" thing... it won't change a thing, I hope. I'm never gonna be a woman, you know..." And he laughed again.

Tibarn looked at the heron for a moment but then joined in.

He was taking careful breaths and Reyson uncovered goose bumps when the last piece of cloth fell to the ground.

It took the heron a minute to find his voice.

„Tibarn, you....", he quietly murmured, and he slowly ran his hands down Tibarn's trembling hips while his lips searched and found what they were looking for.

He had not been too excited while unclothing his husband, but now that he had noticed the other's motivation, Reyson found himself becoming more and more animated.

Whether they were engaged or married, he did not care.

Tibarn was his, and he was Tibarn's, and there was only one way he could imagine to prove their unity.

Slowly, Reyson let his fingers trail down the hawk's waist, run them over his lower back and up again.

Excitement was all around, and even the gurgling creek at the edge of the clearing seemed to speed up.

Reyson's lips swept over Tibarn's hips, his tongue was drawing small circles on the other's hot skin, and he happily groaned when the hawk's gasps reached his ears.

There was overwhelming heat taking over his body, a great desire for more closeness, and a hunger that did not date from his lack of food during the last hours.

Tibarn seemed to be paralysed by his own desire, and not only the quiet moans slipping through the hawk's lips expressed his condition. His skin was too hot, sweating, and waves of trembling run through his whole body whenever Reyson touched a sensitive spot.

Meanwhile, the heron himself got more and more agitated, and when he finally thrust against the other, he, too, gave off quite a moan.

That probably was the moment when Tibarn's mind started working again.

The hawk suddenly turned them both upside down, lifting himself over the heron's body and kissing him insistently.

Husband and wife.

Yin and Yang.

Reyson's spinning head infected the rest of his body, everything became dizzy and blurry.

Appetite had taken over and none of them was able to resist it any longer.

When they united in a flood of affection and satisfaction, Reyson pulled himself closer to the hawk, while Tibarn thrust into the heron with all the desire that had made him suffer.

Reyson's heartbeat broke off for a moment and then started throbbing again, making him feel lively and free.

Without checking, the heron knew that Tibarn's heart, too, must have stopped beating for an instant, and he lovingly smiled while pulling even closer to the other.

Bonds of affection were retied as their bodies united, and their low panting accompanied the sensation of freedom, independent love and mere satisfaction.

The sunrays's warmth mingled with the heat coming from the inside, and both the heron and the hawk had to release their excitement into one supernova satisfying all their desire and their needs.

Reyson was still trembling when he raised an arm and took the hawk's hand to place both their fingers on Tibarn's chest, right next to the heron's head.

Comfortably, he snuggled against the other, enjoying the sunbeam on his back, now that Tibarn had taken the lower position once again, and imagined Rafiel spying through the nearby bushes.

A nervous laughter slipped through his lips at this thought, and Tibarn curiously blinked at him.

„Oh.... it's nothing", Reyson reassured before the hawk could ask, a gentle smile on his face, „You make sure to get some sleep now. I'm fully recovered by now I'd say, but you seem to need a short rest, my beloved."

And he started brushing his lips over the other's collar, softly pressing both their hands to Tibarn's chest, while both their hearts were beating with the same rhythm.

A tender hum came from the heron's throat, and it only took the hawk a minute to fall asleep, entering a dream of a new life as his beloved's husband.


End file.
